SOIL FERTILITY AND BIOMASS FLOW MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY SMALLHOLDERS IN THE AGRESTE REGION OF PARAIBA (BRAZIL)

Eric Sabourin, Jean Philippe Tonneau, Luciano Marçal da Silveira; Pablo Sidersky Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement CIRAD Tera - BP 5035 - 34 032 Montpellier Cedex - France Tel/fax 33 4 67 61 57 60 E-mail: eric.sabourin@cirad.fr - Correspondance: Cirad tera, 73, Rue JF Breton 34 398 Montpellier Cedex 5 , France Abstract:

This paper presents the main results from an appraisal of biomass flows and soil fertility

management practices used by smallholders in the Agreste region of Paraíba (Brazil). The study

was conducted in different agro-ecological conditions in the municipalities of Remígio and

Solânea. The participative appraisal of fertility management is based on the development of a

model of biomass flows at a farm level. The validation of this model meant that it was possible

to construct a common representation of biomass management, which enabled real dialogue

between researchers, technicians and smallholders. Diagnostic conclusions have evidenced a

competition between livestock intensification process and soils conservation. As a result of this

study, technicians have reviewed their approach to soil fertility management.

Key words: family agriculture, soil fertility management, biomass flows, mixed farming,

Brazil.

Introduction

The study of soil fertility management is part of the AS-PTA programme (Support and

Services for Alternative Agricultural Projects) to support sustainable family agriculture in the

Agreste region of Paraíba State. The project was carried out in partnership with farmer

organizations from the Solânea and Remígio municipalities (Map 1). This paper describes the

results of the study and how it was presented to farmers. It is divided into three parts:

background and methodology; soil fertility management practices and the conditions for their

implementation; development and validation of a model of organic matter flows on a farm

level.

1. Background

1.1. The region and the farming systems

In Nordeste, the Agreste region is known for its diverse agro-ecological conditions

(Andrade,1980). Average rainfall in the eastern part of the Remígio and Solânea districts is

around 1000 mm/year, whereas 40 km to the west it is 400 mm/year. This gradient is reflected

by the range of natural vegetation and farming practices in the region.

The region was classified into different agro-ecological zones based on the appraisals of

its farming systems. There are three main landscape units: Brejo, Agreste and Curimataú.

Each area is made up of different agro-ecological zones whose rainfall, soils, relief and

farming systems differ (Map 1). Brejo is situated in the east at a higher altitude. It was

formerly a sugarcane-producing area, but sugarcane has now been replaced by fruit (bananas,

mangoes, etc.), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris and Vigna unguiculata), yam (Dioscorrea sp.),

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cassava (Manilhot esculenta) and livestock production. Agreste is an area of traditional mixed

cropping, the choice of which depends on soil type. Crops include maize (Zea mais), beans,

cassava and field beans (Phaseolus lunatus) or potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) which are

grown in association with aniseed (Foeniculum vulgare), the two most recent commercial

crops in the region. Curimataú is a semiarid region where livestock production predominates.

Mixed cropping of maize and beans is also common. Most small farms and the majority of the

population are concentrated in Brejo and Agreste.

The importance of family agriculture in the two districts is confirmed by data on land

ownership which shows that 77% of farms are smaller than 5 ha. Farms of less than 10 ha

(90% of holdings) only represent 30% of total farm land, whereas holdings of more than 200

ha represent over 50% of land (FIBGE, 1986).

All of the family farming systems are based on mixed cropping and livestock

production. For years, production has been partially or completely market-oriented with a

succession of cash crop cycles (tobacco, cotton, sisal, castor beans, potatoes, aniseed, etc.).

Although six production subsystems were identified, the landscape is dominated by annual

crops, pasture and orchards. Virtually all smallholder families raise a few animals, which are

generally tethered. Cattle production is the most common form of livestock production. The

proportion of small ruminants is higher in areas with less rainfall.

The producer typology indicates that the majority of producers are either "roçado

cultivators" or "landless". The next most important categories are "mixed farmers" and

"specialist farmers" (fruits and potatoes) (AS-PTA, 1997).

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1.2. An appraisal of soil fertility

The aim of the participatory appraisal of soil fertility management was threefold:

• analyse the soil fertility management practices in order to understand how

farmers manage their production systems (rationale and strategies);

• evaluate proposals that have already been tested or diffused;

• encourage farmers to consider and discuss their soil fertility management

practices with the help of the (graphic) representation.

The action-research methodology involved the following five steps:

• the description of the different practices used by farmers to manage biomass flows and the

factors that influence them (Pieri, 1989; Dugue, 1998);

• the identification and analysis of farmers' rationale and strategies for adopting particular

practices in the different farming systems;

• the presentation of the results to the farmers based on the graphic representation of biomass

flows; the validation of the model of organic matter management;

• the collective evaluation -in consultation with the farmers- of the innovations currently

being tested or diffused (in terms of their effectiveness and relevance);

• the programming of new research, experimental and development activities.

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2. Smallholders biomass management practices

On a farm level, soil fertility management can be described by the flow of biomass

between different areas or centres that produce, import or export organic matter. The model is

based on these areas and flows which are used to construct a systematic and graphic

representation of soil fertility management practices.

2.1. The areas involved in soil fertility management

Several areas can be distinguished: areas where biomass is concentrated (the house, storage

areas, cattle pen (curral) and the orchard (quintal); areas that export fertility (cultivated fields

or roçados, grassland and self sown plants); fertilized areas.

2.1.1. Areas where biomass is concentrated

• The house and the orchard (quintal):

It is common to find several fruit trees, a vegetable patch, a few hens and even a small

pigsty near the house. This area is called the quintal. The importance of the fruit trees

determines how the quintal is organized and how dense it is. Heaps of organic residues known

as monturo are piled in this area. The quintal is the area used for the most demanding crops in

term of fertility (maize, yam, vegetables). In the wetter parts of Brejo, the quintal is made up

of small plots of different crops: vegetables and fruit, maize and medicinal plants which are

sometimes associated with a small cultivated wood or matinha.

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• The cattle pen or curral is an ideal area for collecting organic matter. In the three

agro-ecological zones, the curral is gradually being developed, - with addition of a feeding

trough, rack (cocheira) and roof (galpão) - to make a proper stable. The use of a curral

reduces food waste and concentrates the residues, excrement and straw that are used for

manure.

2.1.2. Areas that export fertility

• The traditional cultivated areas (roçado)

The roçados are the plots that are cultivated each year. In a traditional roçado, several

crops - maize, beans, field beans and cassava- are grown together. These areas generally

export fertility via the production of crops, eg cereals, tubers and straw. The only regular

means of returning fertility to the soil is by grazing livestock after the harvest and ploughing

in weeds and crop residues that are left in the field. When livestock graze these plots, most of

the biomass that they consume is not returned. Therefore, there is a progressive loss in fertility

which can limit the plots' productive potential. The amount of fertility loss varies. For

example, it is less pronounced in Curimataú where the soils are naturally more fertile (Leprun

& Silva, 1995).

• Fodder crops

Fodder crops, which were only recently introduced, are managed in much the same way

as other roçado crops. Organic manure is sometimes applied to fodder crops, such as forage

cactus (Opuntia sp.) and napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum). Napier grass is generally

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grown on small plots in lowland areas because it can be grown in places prone to flooding or

even saline conditions. It is extremely productive giving high yields of biomass.

Plots of spineless cactus (Opuntia sp.) provide an unusual example of pluriannual

cropping. Opuntia is always fenced off from livestock. Farmers have started associating

plantations of Opuntia with perennial legumes (gliricidia, leucaena, pigeon pea) and planting

trees and local cacti in the enclosures.

• Grassland

The term pasto refers to natural grassland, grass leys (Bracchiaria sp. and pangola

grass/Digitaria decumbens) and areas where natural vegetation has regrown, known as capoeira.

Herds move between the different areas on and outside the farm1. However, the owner of even

a small herd always sets aside an area specifically for grazing. This is essential during the

rainy season so that animals can be enclosed and fed while the rest of the land is used for crop

production. This area used to merge with fallow land and the areas recolonized by natural

vegetation that were periodically cleared and cropped. Now, the small size of farms has meant

that fallow and natural and even secondary vegetation have disappeared.

2.1.3 Fertilized areas

The traditional practice of leaving land fallow as a way of improving the fertility of

cultivated soils has disappeared. On the largest farms (over 30 ha), the oldest capoeiras (15-

20 years) can sometimes appear to be vestiges of fallow. However, they are managed like

grasslands or forage areas. Soil impoverishment as a result of farm intensification has already

1 After harvest all the local herds have access to the cultivated plots which are otherwise fenced off.

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forced a number of farmers to take action to improve the fertility of their roçados. The plots

where cash crops (potatoes, yam, banana and vegetables) are grown, receive the biggest

applications of organic matter (manure from the curral or bought-in) or mineral fertilizer

(potatoes and vegetables). The same practices are used for plots of spineless cactus and napier

grass.

2.2. Management practices used for biomass flows

There are numerous types of biomass and diverse management practices. Biomass can

include crop products and residues (fruits, cereals, tubers, straw and chaff), natural grassland

and grass leys, self sown vegetation, trees and shrubs. The biomass produced is initially used

by the farmer (harvest, fodder) or the livestock. We can differentiate between practices that

return biomass to the soil and those that concentrate it.

2.2.1. Returning biomass to cultivated plots

This practice involves returning biomass in-situ, either directly or by grazing animals on

the harvest residues. At the start of the rainy season, when the soil is being cultivated, the

most woody weeds are pulled up and heaped at the edge of the field so that they can be

incorporated the following year. This practice is due to the fact that the woody material is

difficult to incorporate and hinders the transit of draught cultivators. Potato farmers clear the

land more rigorously. In fact, the high C:N ratio of plant residues at the end of the dry season

exacerbates the immobilisation of available nitrogen due to soil micro-organisms (Tiessen et

al., 1998).

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In the dry season, the roçado is used for grazing, except for the plots down to cassava

and aniseed/potatoes. Available fodder includes the herbaceous layer (adventitious) and

remaining crop residues, particularly dry maize leaves and canes and bean stalks.

Soil fertility can also be replenished by applying manure produced on-farm. In areas of

high rainfall, manure is usually spread every 2-3 years on crops of yam, bananas and crops

grown in association with cassava. There have also been reports of manure applications to

napier grass and spineless cactus. Potato farmers apply manure and also buy in artificial

fertilizer. They apply 15-20 t/ha/year of manure and a small amount of nitrogen (urea,

ammonium sulphate) to each plant (50-100 kg/ha).

2.2.2. Concentration practices

This practice corresponds to the movements that concentrate biomass in the areas next to the

house (cattle pen and stocks of fodder), which involves transporting the material from the

fields, the grassland and the capoeira. Some residues are transported with the harvested crop

(Phaseolus haulms and leaves, Vigna and field bean pods, straw and chaff of maize cobs).

In the dry season, fodder is systematically fed to the animals which are either penned or

kept in an enclosed pasture. Cob husks, cob silk and maize straw are stored in the same way

as bean haulms and chaff. The maize stalks remain in the field after harvest. They can be left

for the livestock to graze. Otherwise they are harvested and stored under a tree or near the

house. Sweet potato haulms, cassava leaves, cassava stalks and banana trunks are fed to

livestock while they are still green. These residues are the main source of complementary

food for livestock in the Brejo areas where they are fed after the harvest. However, in

Curimataú and Agreste, crop residues are systematically stored for the dry season. These

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practices are a step towards the intensification of livestock production. They mark the

integration of crop and livestock production.

In the wet areas (Brejo), green fodder comes from more diverse sources. For example,

Gramineae can be sown in the lowlands (napier and bracchiaria) and on the edge of plots, cut

from the verge or supplied by the neighbours. Grazing animals on land owned by a third

party, combined with penning them at night, contributes to both the import and concentration

of biomass. In the dryer areas, local plants from the capoeiras and the spineless cactus are

used, above all.

3. The construction and validation of the biomass management model

3.1. The model's components

The representation of biomass flows was based on a series of observations made on ten

farms in the three agro-ecological zones. It is organized around the different spaces and

biomass flows (Silveira et al., 1999). The spaces are symbolized in terms of generic category

in order to simplify the representation: house, cultivated field, orchard, cattle pen, grasslands,

forage store... (Figure 1). The model is built around three main types of biomass flow

(exports, transfers, imports), the combination of which determines the centres of loss,

accumulation or maintenance of soil fertility2.

3.1.1. Exports

2 In Figure 1, the flows are indicated by coloured arrows that correspond to different types of biomass: blue = crops (cereals and tubers); green = fodder and straw (dotted = occasional flow); brown = manure (& artificial fertilizer).

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The main exports from the cultivated land (roçados and quintal) come from crops that

are for subsistence or sale. The flows are concentrated towards the house and then the market.

The export of biomass from grassland mainly results from the removal of animals. Some

biomass is returned in situ (excrement recycling, represented by the cycle of bicoloured

arrows). In Curimataú, manure is sometimes sold.

3.1.2. Transfers

Biomass is removed from cultivated or grazed land in the form of straw, crop residues

and diverse types of fodder. In reality, it is transferred to the animals. These transfers are

partially recovered by recycling excrement or applying manure, depending on how the herds

are managed. Manure is generally used to fertilize cultivated land. Straw and crop residues

heaped in the fields or near the house are generally for animal consumption. The same applies

to the weeds that grow in the fields after harvest.

Most biomass is returned to the soil in the form of applications of dry manure (powder)

or crop residues. The priority areas are the quintal (vegetables and fruit trees), which is

generally near the curral, and some fields, particularly where potatoes, yam and cassava are

grown and, ultimately, plots of napier grass and spineless cactus. In the case of grassland,

biomass recycling in the form of animal waste is limited, except in the case of fenced night

paddocks where animals are given supplementary feeding in the dry season.

3.1.3. Imports

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• Fodder imports can be divided into four groups:

- livestock are grazed off the farm (fields owned by a third party, common land, verges) and

return to the curral at night;

- fodder (Gramineae, cacti, crop residues) is harvested outside the farm to feed livestock in

the dry season;

- rented or borrowed land is cropped outside the property;

- purchase of fodder (spineless cactus, sorghum) or even concentrates;

• Bought-in manure is another form of importing fertility. This practice is still limited to

potatoes or market garden crops.

There are diverse practices. The challenge is to find a way of classifying different types

of fertility management depending on the agro-ecological zone, farm size, the farming system

and the type of farmer. The model of biomass flows was built to represent these practices

systematically so they could be analysed.

3.2. Soil fertility management and farmer strategies

The farmers discussed and validated the model. Six types of soil fertility management were

identified with several local variations. They can be distinguished by the degree of complexity

and intensification of both crop and livestock production (Table 1). Farm management

practices seem, primarily, to be geared towards the intensification of livestock and crop

production; the role of soil fertility seems to be secondary. The basic and simplest form is

comprised of the house and one (or two) cultivated fields. As the model evolves, other areas

and factors come into play, with increasingly complex combinations of flows which

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correspond to different degrees of intensification. The main factors involved in these

evolutions are: (1) the presence of the orchard (quintal), (2) livestock, (3), grassland (4)

introduction of a cattle pen (followed by a feeding trough and shelter), (5) fodder storage (6)

applications of manure and, lastly, (7) the purchase of manure and artificial fertilizer.

The farmers' observations confirm that there is a strong link between the main features

of the model and smallholders' strategies. These strategies are largely determined by land and

labour availability, agro-ecological conditions, the intensification of livestock production and

the role of cash crops.

3.2.1. Land and labour availability

The relationship between the size of a smallholding and soil fertility management

depends, above all, on the potential to restore fertility in some areas (cultivated fields as well as

grassland). When size allows, fallow can still be practised. Land availability depends on the

farmer's circumstances at the start of his career (inheritance, initial endowment).

Land availability is also linked to soil diversity and quality which, in turn, determines the degree

to which farmers can specialize.

Farmers often set up with a limited amount of land and a few animals. In general, the aim is to

develop crop production by increasing the amount of cultivated land. The size of the cropping

area is directly linked to labour availability (the number of children, their age and how they help

on the farm). The problems of mobilizing a labour force are determining factors for productive

capacity and biomass management. In other words, they determine the area cultivated, volumes

of produce, type of livestock and how much fodder or manure is stored or transported. The

availability of labour is a problem on most farms. It can be linked to the farmer's life cycle. The

labour force depends on how much energy the farmer and his wife have. It also depends on the

presence of neighbours and mutual help (mutirão) or the exchange of days of work as well as on

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the potential to employ a worker (temporarily or full-time).

Table 1: Types of soil fertility management model in Agreste-Paraíba

Type Characteristics Sub-groups

Elements

0 The simplest basic model

House + cultivated fields or roçado, very rare

1 Typical smallholding found in Brejo do Roçado de Solânea: presence of an orchard or quintal

House, field, and quintal. Export from roçado and limited transfer to the house and quintal.

2 Livestock present (farms with small herds, no grassland)

2a House, field, quintal and livestock. Animals tethered and/or grazed off-farm.

Livestock with grassland (pasto)

2b House, field, quintal, livestock and grassland.

3 Typical model in Brejo do Gravatá,Remígio: including cattle pen (curral)

3a House, field, quintal, livestock, grassland and cattle pen (curral). - Import of fodder from outside the farm - Manure applications to some cultivated fields (yam)

Ditto 3a, with a napier grass plot (capineira)

3b House, field, quintal, livestock, grassland, cattle pen and napier grass plot (capineira)

4 Introduction of fodder storage (Gravatá -Remígio)

4a House, field, quintal, livestock, grassland, cattle pen and fodder storage (often with fodder imports from outside)

Ditto with a napier grass plot (capineira).

4b House, field, quintal, livestock, grassland, cattle pen, fodder storage, and napier grass plot (capineira)

5 Model commonly found in Curimataú: cattle pen and straw storage but no quintal

House, field, livestock, cattle pen, grassland, capoeira, fodder storage, land cultivated outside the property. Little manure is applied on-farm; some cases of manure sale.

6 Typical model in Agreste da Batatinha: with more intensive potato production. Manure bought in

6a House, field for beans, field for potatoes, livestock, cattle pen, fodder storage. Quintal are rare. Fodder imported and manure bought in for the potato crop.

Ditto with purchase of artificial fertilizer

6b Ditto + artificial fertilizer

Lastly, the strategy adopted by a farmer at the end of his career depends on the future

succession. Elderly farmers on their own only maintain soil fertility on a certain part of the

farm (quintal or curral) or adopt a more extensive system. They may even abandon any

attempt to restore fertility through lack of strength, resources or interest. The continuation of

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family farms is largely dependent on land accumulation. In general, when land is equally

divided between the descendants, there is not enough of it to ensure that each descendant can

take over a viable production unit. Thus, each generation has to start a new accumulation cycle,

which depends on different conditions (market crisis, diseases, drought) and on the

opportunities for diversification. The decision to diversify is voluntary and thought out. In

contrast, production crises are unexpected and depend, above all, on external factors: agro-

ecological (pests such as Anthonum grandis which attacks cotton) or economic factors (drop in

sisal prices, competition with potatoes from the south) (Sabourin et al., 1999).

3.2.2. Agro-ecological and geographical diversity

This diversity is due to the decreasing rainfall gradient between Brejo and semi-arid

Curimataú. The drought has exacerbated the problem of whether the small amount of

available biomass should be used for animal feed or returned directly to the soil. In Brejo,

there are few fodder crops other than natural grassland and plots of napier. Storage facilities

are almost nonexistent. In Agreste, little is done to improve soil fertility because traditional

crops (maize, beans and cassava) are unprofitable. In Agreste and Brejo, where soils are less

fertile than in Curimataú, we have already observed applications of manure and incorporation

of crop residues and weeds, which could also be fed to livestock.

3.2.3. Diverse but increasingly intensive livestock production

Livestock production is becoming more intensive in all three zones. However, intensification

is more marked in Curimataú and the driest parts of Agreste de Remígio where cash crops

have not been grown since the cotton crisis.

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This is demonstrated by the fact that increasing efforts are being made in terms of animal

feed:

- use of grassland, capoeiras, crop residues, on and off-farm;

- livestock are tethered to graze (smallholdings of less than 5 ha in Agreste and Brejo);

- harvest of fodder off-farm during the dry season (verges, crop residues);

- fencing grassland (sometimes after the establishment of a grass ley);

- introduction of fodder crops (spineless cactus, sorghum, pigeon pea, napier) grass;

- livestock fed in cattle pen or enclosure;

- construction of cattle pens, feeding troughs and manure stalls;

- build up of fodder storage, first in the cultivated plots and then close to the cattle pen.

The intensification of livestock production offers new possibilities in terms of soil fertility

management. However, it uses the same areas and resources as crop intensification.

Therefore, livestock and crop production are not just complementary, they are in direct

competition for biomass. As Landais and Lhoste (1990) suggest, the presence of cattle pens or

manure stables does not always guarantee that manure will be used. This is the case in

Agreste de la Paraíba where few farmers have access to a cart or sufficient labour to transport

and spread manure. In addition, the aim of intensifying livestock production, unlike more

intensive crop production, is not simply to increase productivity and production levels. In the

region land is scarce and expensive, livestock production can be a means of saving.

3.2.4. Determination linked to cash crops

The importance of manuring is more obvious when profitable crops are grown (yam, potato,

banana). The possibility of obtaining access to credit or a market has encouraged potato

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farmers and market gardeners in Remígio to risk buying in several lorry loads of manure each

year ($300-500/ha). The alternative of green manure (crotalaria) is less expensive but hard to

fit into the crop calendar, particularly in dry years. It is also difficult to incorporate using

animal traction which is limited to one ox. A number of farmers in the Gravatá de Remígio

region buy enough manure each year for a third of their cultivated land. However, when no

cash crops are grown, manure use is limited, as in Curimataú where it is even sold.

3.3. The dynamic and diverse evolution of soil fertility management

3.3.1. Diversity and mobility

One important lesson to be drawn from this appraisal is the fact that soil fertility

management systems are diverse and relatively unstable. The status of different cultivated

areas, with the exception of the quintal when it is planted up with trees, is never definitive and

can change in a generation. This does not mean that there is nothing but loss of soil fertility,

soil depletion or environmental degradation, as claimed by some alarmist publications that

suggest that 70% of land in Paraíba is affected by desertification. As we have seen, there are

practices, some of which are ancient, that maintain and restore soil fertility. The process

involved in the intensification of livestock and crop production is proof enough. In order to

understand how fertility flows are managed, we must look beyond the confines of the farm,

which can be limited in different ways (farm spread over several sites, family-owned land

dispersed, access to common land) (Landais and Lhoste, 1990). The management of livestock

feeding during the dry season is marked by the community's solidarity which is very strong

during prolonged droughts. Even when there is no common land, farmers open gates and take

down fences so that their neighbours' herds can graze the stubble of cultivated fields after

harvest. Land use (the organization of space) is not simply set according to soil quality and a

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specific function. Farmers have priorities (needs and strategies) which determine the status of

fields and how their fertility is managed.

The transfers and mobility of fertility on a farm, in an area or even a small region

(valley, catchment area) should be identified. This is important for constructing a more

complete and integrated representation that takes into account these different factors and their

corresponding productive areas and subsystems. A representation of this kind offers an

alternative point of view and new possibilities for action that deal with the competition

between the association of crop and livestock production and the role and limitations of

fodder break crops (Landais and Lhoste, 1990).

3.3.2. Farmers are increasingly aware of the importance of fertilization

The study confirmed the fact that farmers are aware of the importance of improving

fertility and accumulating biomass. Applying manure to crops that respond directly to

fertilizer is one example. However, apart from the areas that are always cultivated (quintal,

bananas and potatoes), these fertility transfers are often arbitrary adjustments as opposed to

part of a rational management plan. In fact, different areas are not always used for the same

purposes and the practice of using a fodder break crop has only recently been introduced. The

transition from simple adjustments to organized fertility transfers constitutes a qualitative leap

which is part of the intensification process.

3.3.3. New demands and propositions

When the results of this study were presented to the farmers, new propositions

were suggested for trials or study. Earlier proposals were modified with emphasis on

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improved integration between crop production, livestock and soil conservation. The sloping

perpendicular ridges are justified by draught farming and the incorporation of manure. The

contours are associated with bands of vetiver or tree-covered alleys (gliricidia, leucaena,

pigeon peas) which provide fodder or wood. It goes without saying that leguminous trees are

planted in the alleys and small woods. The fact that labour is limited rules out any labour

intensive propositions whose sole purpose is to conserve the soil without providing fodder,

income or a rapid return in terms of fertility (gliricidia).

Lastly, the appraisal led to the identification of new research, including the impact of

wooded alleys in terms of biomass production and fertilization of the soil, mixed crop trials,

the role of trees and manure management. Proposals were put forward for a range of research

and action projects that concern small regions and types of farmer because of the specificities

of the agro-ecological zones and farmers' individual situations.

Conclusion

The exercise was extremely informative for the Paraíba project. The farmers were

able to clearly identify the soils that were impoverished and the difficulties of restoring

fertility. They attribute these problems to the fact that the same crops are grown on the same

plots year after year and to the abandon of the systematic practice of fallow. They claim that

there is little alternative in terms of cash crop or credit (for mixed cropping), the two options

which mean that manure or artificial fertilizer can be bought. The lack of available labour and

the priority given to the intensification of fodder production are constant problems.

The study provided the opportunity to review innovations that had already been

tested. Several hypothesis were confirmed but new questions were raised. Using an integrated

whole-farm approach to organic matter management meant that a qualitative leap could be

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made in terms of the representation and management of soil fertility. This demonstrated the

importance of examining the situation on different levels (regions, valley and catchment area).

Manure management has only recently become a problem. However, it is common

to all the regions apart from Agreste which has experienced problems in the past. In fact, the

lack of labour and water appear to be the two factors that limit the management and

decomposition of organic matter. The attempt to diversify by reintroducing yam, fruit trees

and mixed cropping with forage cactus, have encouraged the use of manure produced on-

farm.

Farmers were quick to understand the flow model which meant that it was possible to

discuss the issue with local groups. Research into alternatives reinforces the idea that a more

integrated whole-farm approach to soil fertility is needed that highlights the problems of

complementarity and competition that exist between the intensification of crop and livestock

production.

Priority was given to proposals that include a fodder element because of the importance

of intensifying livestock production. Previous recommendations suggested that biomass

should be incorporated directly, whereas, this practice is only carried out when the vegetation

cannot be used for fodder. Given that biomass with a forage value is fed to livestock

systematically, proposals for restoring soil fertility should be based on:

- increasing the overall production of biomass on the farm;

- optimising the use of manure and crop residues on the cultivated areas.

This presupposes that the proposals to improve soil fertility on the whole farm and not

just the cultivated plots should be developed, eg fertilising grass leys and fodder crops

(spineless cactus), planting or maintaining hedges, wooded alleys and small woods. A

20

proposal to plant trees on different parts of the farm might be worth investigating because

some tree species are valuable to farmers.

This appraisal suggested new subjects for research. Work is now underway to quantify

biomass flows, assess the fertility of individual plots and assess fodder flows. The strategies

and options for intensification, estimated family incomes and manure and crop residue

management need to be specified so that new trials can be formulated and farmers can be

given advice on the alternatives for intensification and investments.

Bibliography Andrade, M. C. de, 1980. A Terra e o Homem do Nordeste, Hucitec, São Paulo, Brazil AS-PTA, 1997. Agricultores Familiares do Agreste Paraibano. O caso dos municípios de

Solânea e Remígio, AS-PTA, Solânea-PB, Brazil, 28p. Dugue, P. 1998. Flux de biomasse et gestion de la fertilité à l’échelle des terroirs. Nord

Cameroun. CIRAD, Montpellier, France, document Cirad-Tera n° 29/98, 68p FIBGE. 1986 Censo Agropecuário, 1985, Fundação IBGE, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Landais, E.; Lhoste, P. 1990. L’association agriculture-élevage en Afrique intertropicale: un

mythe techniciste confronté aux réalités du terrain in: Societés Pastorales et Développement Bernus E. et Pouillon, F. (Ed.) Cahiers des Sciences Humaines , 26, (1-2), 217-235, ORSTOM Editions, Paris.

Leprun, J.C. ; Silva, F.B. 1995. Les dégradations des sols en régions semi-arides au Brésil et en Afrique de l’Ouest :comparaison et conséquences. Suggestions sur leurs réhabilitation respectives. In : Pontanier R et al., (Eds) L’homme peut-il refaire ce qu’il a défait ? John Libbey Eurotex, Paris, 267-291

Pieri, C. 1989. Fertilité des terres de savanes.Ministère de la Coopération, Paris, France, 445p. Sabourin, E; Silveira, L. M. da; Tonneau, J.P.; Sidersky, P. 1999. Gestão da fertilidade em

unidades familiares do Agreste da Paraíba. AS-PTA, CIRAD, Recife, 40p. Silveira, L.M.; Tiessen, H.; Tonneau, J.P. 1999. Organic matter management in family

agriculture of semiarid Paraiba, Brazil. In: International Symposium "Organic Matter and Soil Nutrient Cycling", Bonn, 10p.

Tiessen, H.; Feller, C.; Sampaio, E.V.S.B.; Garin, P. 1998. Carbon sequestration and turnover in semiarid savannas and dry forest. Climatic Change, 40, 105-117

21

Model for fertility management Figure 2:

CCuullttiivvaatteedd ffiieelldd

Basic model: Cultivated field (roçado)

Home garden

( - )

(( ++ )) Model 1: home garden (quintal) Cultivated field without livestock Brejo do Roçado

Model 2a: livestock Cultivated field, home garden Brejo and Agreste do Roçado

Cultivated field

Model 2b: livestock + pasture, cultivated field, home garden Agreste & Brejo do Roçado

( - ) Cultivated field

cultivated field

Fodder off- (( ++

( - )

(( ++ ))

Home garden

farm grazing ))

Fodder off-farm grazing (( ++ ))

Home garden

pasture

Fodder off-farm grazing

Cultivated field

( -- )

Home garden

(( ++ ))

(( ++ ))

Model 3a: cattle pen (curral) cult. field, home garden, livestock, pasture

Variants: ---- use of manure on cultivated field ---- importation of fodder

Home garden

(( ++ ))

( ~ )

pasture

(( ++ ))

Cultivated field

Model 3b: sown pasture napier grass (capineira) Brejo do Roçado Solânea Field, home garden, livestock, pasture, cattle pen, napier grass.

Off-farm field

Import fodder off-

farm grazing

( - )

Napier grass

pasture

2

Modèle 4: store for fodder Região do Gravatá Remígio Cult. field, home garden livestock, pasture, cattle pen. Brejo do Roçado Remígio

(( ++ ))

( - )

( ~ )

(( ++ ))

Variants:---- cultivated field off-farm ---- fodder from outside the property ---- use of manure in field and home garden

Modèle 4b: Store fodder + grass ley/napier – Cultivated field, home garden, livestock, pasture, cattle pen. Brejo do Roçado & Gravatá Remígio

(( ++ ))

Cult. field

( ~ )

pasture (( ++ ))

Off farm field

Import of fodder

( - )

Home garden

napier grass

stock

Off-farm field

Import of fodder or off-farm

grazing

Home garden

Cul. field

pasture

Stock

3

off-farm cul. field

Grassy lowlands

( - )

(( ++ ))

pasture

Cultivated field

Model 5: no home garden Cult. field, livestock, pasture, cattle pen, store, lowlands (beldroaga) Curimataú of Solânea

Capoeira - campo de agave abandonado

Variants : ----- sale of manure ----- use of local plants in case of drought (cactaceae, broméliaceae) - storage of maize canes

______________________________________________________________________

4

Model 6: purchase of manure Agreste da Batatinha Remígio Fields, livestock, pasture, cattle pen, storage, purchase of manure and chemical fertilizer No home garden

pasture (( ++ ))

(( ++ )) Import of fodder

( - )

Potato/anised field Manure chemical

fertilizer Maize/bean field